139-year-old Harbour police station is being renewed at 4crore

The 139-year-old Harbour police station, a red-bricked colonial-era structure has seen better days. Now, work at a cost of `4crore has begun on the restoration of the station on the busy Rajaji Salai in the city's port zone.Built in 1886, the M-1 Harbour police station handled law and order inside the Harbour premises. But over time, trees worked their way into the brickwork, weakening the structure.According to police, in 1996, the joint commissioner of police's (north zone) office was moved from Egmore's COP complex to the B-1 North beach police station. The deputy commissioner's office shifted to M-1 Harbour station. But M-1 couldn't hold both. The then ADGP and commissioner asked Madras Port Trust for a temporary location within Harbour premises, and the station moved there.In 2000, it relocated again — this time to Clive Battery Quarters-1 at 6, Rajaji Salai. The original building had become unsafe. Around the same time, the M-1 code was reassigned to the newly formed Madhavaram district, and the Harbour station became B-5.In 2018, it moved once more, to the first floor of the N-3 Muthialpet police station on Jules Road, Broadway. That's where it still operates today.Now, the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation (TNPHC) is rebuilding the original structure using traditional methods. "We've finished 20% of the work. Handover to police will be next year," said DGP and TNPHC chairman and managing director, Shailesh Kumar Yadav.S Veerapandian, site in-charge, said lime mortar and a mix of karupatti and kadukka is used for plastering. The building includes two halls and two lockups on the ground floor, with three halls, a corridor, bathrooms and a portico upstairs.A three-storey building with parking and office space for a deputy commissioner and his unit is also coming up next door, added Shailesh Kumar Yadav.